When children and youth enter foster care, so much can change at once. Home, school, daily routines, and even the people they see each day may suddenly look different.
One thing that can make a meaningful difference is staying connected to someone they already know and trust.
That’s the heart of kinship care.
Kinship care means children live with relatives or other trusted adults when they cannot safely remain with their parents. Caregivers may include grandparents, aunts, uncles, adult siblings, cousins, or close family friends who already have a meaningful relationship with the child.
Marquan Teetz (MT), an advocate for youth in foster care and juvenile justice reform, draws on his own experiences in kinship care, foster care, and group homes. He says children can benefit from connections with extended family members, even relatives they don’t know well.
MT and his brother entered foster care at a young age. Over the years, several extended relatives stepped in to care for them through kinship care.
“Even if it was someone we didn’t know well, like our great aunties, we were with people who remembered our mom. They told us stories, answered our questions, and helped us stay connected to our family,” MT said.
For many children, kinship care can help siblings stay connected, allowing them to grow up together and share everyday moments.
Supporting children and families
When children enter foster care, kinship caregivers work with child welfare agencies through a safety and approval process that varies by state. Child welfare professionals help guide families through the process. Stepping into the role of a kinship caregiver can be both rewarding and challenging. Many relatives and trusted adults do so with little notice while balancing work, finances, parenting, or retirement. Children and youth may also be coping with grief, trauma, or uncertainty as they adjust to new routines and relationships.
Although every family’s circumstances are different, kinship caregivers share a commitment to helping children feel safe and supported.
MT says one important, lasting benefit of kinship care is helping children stay connected to their family history and culture: “Family can pass along particular traditions and values that matter to their family.”
Different paths, one shared goal
Children achieve permanency in different ways. Some return home through reunification with their birth parent(s). Others achieve permanency through guardianship or adoption. Kinship care is one pathway that can help children build lasting relationships with caring adults.
Permanency is about more than having a place to live. It means growing up with adults who provide love, stability, and support through both the big and small moments of life.
Every child deserves lasting relationships with caring adults who know them, support them, and will be there through life’s milestones.
Depending on your state, kinship caregivers may be eligible for specialized support services. As MT reminds families, “You don’t have to do it alone.” The following resources can help you learn more about kinship care and available support.
Additional Resources
AdoptUSKids: What is kinship care?: Learn more about kinship care, how it works, and the support services that may be available to caregivers.
Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network: Find information about kinship caregiving, financial assistance, legal resources, and state-specific support.
Grandfamilies.org State Fact Sheets: Explore state-by-state information on benefits, laws, and services for kinship caregivers.
Families Rising: Explore caregiver resources, find parent support groups across the United States and Canada, and access educational materials for adoptive, foster, and kinship families.
Need help?: AdoptUSKids foster care and adoption specialists can answer questions and connect you with resources in your state. Call 888-200-4005 or use the online chat feature at AdoptUSKids.
